Bear Hunting!

[DJS]

Heres a question for all you bear hunters. What do you guys do in the following senario.
You're hunting over a bait, and just before dark as you're starting to think about leaving for the night a sow with cubs comes into the bait. You want to leave before its too dark but with the sow and cubs below what do you do?

[addictedtohunting]

As a first time Bear hunter, I was wondering the same thing!

[James M]

I know a guy who this happened to. The sow with cubs came in and hung around for a long time and when it came time to leave, he went to climb down from his treestand, and the cubs bolted up a tree. I don't know what the sow thought of him being there, but he managed to get out alive. That was up in the Valleyview area.

[bullgetter]

Let your presence be known and climb down. It's happened to me about 7 years ago. I yelled and the cubs went up a tree 10 yards away. The sow paced back and forth behind the barrels 20 yards away snapping her jaws at me. I climbed down and backed out. Now I try to spook the sow and cubs before they get to the bait. They are fun to watch but costly to feed and can make a guy feel uncomfortable. I now pack a rifle with me. It's a bit of a pain but makes me feel better especially when following a blood trail in the dark! I've never had to take the safety off when bear hunting but I have just heard to many stories.

[Greg_100]

Here is a youtube of a cub climbing up past you in the tree stand.

Moma bear walking below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG4MMC8Tvsc

[Rackmastr]

Just scare the bear away and climb on down if you're worried about it...

Bears can get spooked off a bait and return. Really dont matter much if ya spook the sow.....boars will be back in there anyways....

[Bushmaster]

Situations like this is why you should wear Depends !!

[nube]

It amazes me how scared of bears so many people are. You need to respect them but they are not a fierce people eating animal like everyone wants to believe. If you spend a lot of time around them you will learn when you need to back of and you can learn to read them. I guided for many many years and always had bears walking around me at the baits, sometimes as close as 10 yard or less. Throw a stick at them make some noise. I have had a tone of bluff charges and snapping teeth but I found most the time they are more curious of you than wanting to bite you. I have dealt with cubs and momma and just make sure she knows you are there and make some noise. Get down slow and back out. She will continue to feed there so just make sure you ease in next time so you don't surprise her when you go in.

[jaybull]

ya I`d just make a sh-t load of human noises.Theyll back off.but a lot of times the come back in a couple min.So make lots of noise and leave.

[300 wsm]

make noise dont scare them unexpectidly like when mommas under your tree

[DJS]

Thats the reason I ask. I had a sow and three cubs at a bait with about 5 mins of light left last year and I quietly let them know I was there and she came unglued. Was up and down my tree about half a dozen times spitting and huffing and swapping my stand. By far the scariest encounter I've had with bears yet. Had to sit in the tree until 1 am that night.

[Albertabowhunter]

Originally Posted by jaybull

ya I`d just make a sh-t load of human noises.Theyll back off.but a lot of times the come back in a couple min.So make lots of noise and leave.

burp, fart, sigh.... dont think those would work... LOL

[Albertabowhunter]

Originally Posted by DJS

Thats the reason I ask. I had a sow and three cubs at a bait with about 5 mins of light left last year and I quietly let them know I was there and she came unglued. Was up and down my tree about half a dozen times spitting and huffing and swapping my stand. By far the scariest encounter I've had with bears yet. Had to sit in the tree until 1 am that night.

Fire off a gunshot... i'm sure they will take off, for a bit anyway... but keep an extra in the chamber just in case...

[addictedtohunting]

At what point would you guys shoot the sow? Having her up my tree and swatting my stand would be quite a bit too close for me!

[Bushmaster]

And another thing to consider....are you talking cubs of the year or yearlings ?? Lots of people say cubs when they are really seeing yearlings. Cubs of the year are VERY small. And I think every bear is different......I've seen them just turn and walk off and I've seen them charge and climb my tree at the slightest sound. I've had bears hanging off the bottom of my stand....very exciting stuff.

I would take a warning shot in the air by the next day the bears wouldnt know the diff They would only want to eat your bait .

[James M]

Originally Posted by Bushmaster

And another thing to consider....are you talking cubs of the year or yearlings ?? Lots of people say cubs when they are really seeing yearlings. Cubs of the year are VERY small. And I think every bear is different......I've seen them just turn and walk off and I've seen them charge and climb my tree at the slightest sound. I've had bears hanging off the bottom of my stand....very exciting stuff.

Tell me if I'm right or wrong...but I believe yearlings and sows with yearlings are legal game right? It says in the regs something like it's unethical to shoot a bear of less than one year of age.

[Bushmaster]

This is how the regs read.....

hunt
a black bear under the age of one year,
a female black bear accompanied by a cub under the age of one year,

[NS Beagler]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

Just scare the bear away and climb on down if you're worried about it...
....

Just say shoo shoo they should go away. I don't know what you are worried about!